If you’ve poured years into something that didn’t pay off the way you hoped, or you wonder whether your past has disqualified you from what God still wants to do, this message is for you. Saul’s story in Acts 9 shows that one encounter with Jesus can redirect even the most misdirected life.
Pastor Nichole Crowley continues Called to Gather, Part 5 of 8: Redeemed, a study through the Book of Acts.
We open with a picture of Beanie Babies in the 1990s, when people invested heavily in something that ultimately held little lasting value. Many of us know what it feels like to give ourselves completely to a career, a relationship, an ambition, or a plan, only to realize later it was taking us in the wrong direction. Saul was that man. He was passionate, educated, disciplined, and fully convinced he was serving God, yet he was fighting against the very One he thought he was defending.
From the moment we first meet him approving Stephen’s death in Acts 7:58 and 8:1, to his request for letters to arrest followers of the Way in Damascus (Acts 9:1-2), Saul is consumed. He was uttering threats with every breath and eager to kill the Lord’s followers. He was willing to travel roughly 150 miles on foot because he was that committed. Passion is a gift God can use, but passion without surrender can lead us far from His purposes. He had the backing of religious leaders, yet he had never surrendered his life to Jesus.
Point 1: Passion finds purpose in surrender.
Following Jesus is not about getting God to bless the plans we have already decided. It is about laying those passions before Him. Saul had passion, conviction, and even permission, but he had never surrendered. The question for us is the same: Have I surrendered my passions to God’s purposes, or am I just asking God to bless the things I have already decided to pursue?
Point 2: One encounter with Jesus changes everything.
On the road to Damascus a light from heaven stops Saul. He hears the voice, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” Jesus identifies so closely with His church that what was done to the believers He takes personally (Acts 9:3-5). Saul was not looking for Jesus. He was actively trying to destroy the church. Yet Jesus meets him anyway. No failure is greater than His grace. Where you have been does not have to determine where you are going.
Jesus does not give Saul the whole plan. He gives him the next step: go into the city and wait. For three days Saul is blind and dependent, led by the hand to the very place he planned to arrest people. Surrender often begins when we are willing to obey without knowing what comes next.
Point 3: Jesus can redeem what you thought was wasted.
God sends Ananias, who knows Saul’s reputation and still obeys. The first words Ananias speaks are “Brother Saul.” In that moment the man who had hunted Christians is received as family. Scales fall from Saul’s eyes, he is filled with the Holy Spirit, and almost immediately he begins preaching that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:17-22). The same passion and boldness are now redirected toward the purposes of God.
The people he once worked with plot to kill him, and the believers he once hunted lower him in a basket to escape. When he reaches Jerusalem, Barnabas vouches for him. Jesus did not erase Saul’s personality, his education, or his past. He redeemed the man. Saul’s past even became a tool: if God could save the worst of sinners, He can save anyone. Redemption does not erase your past. It gives you a new future. God’s purpose is greater than your past. You may not be able to change what lies behind you, but you can surrender what lies ahead.
After Saul’s conversion the church experienced peace and continued to grow (Acts 9:31). The man who tried to destroy the church became part of the very mission he had opposed.
As we close, three questions invite the Holy Spirit to search us: What direction is my life moving? What am I still holding onto? What part of my past am I allowing to define my future?
KEY TAKEAWAY:
No failure is greater than His grace. One encounter with Jesus can change the direction of your life, and God can redeem what you thought was wasted. God’s purpose is greater than your past.
CALL TO ACTION:
If this message encouraged you, share it with someone who wonders whether God can still use their story. Subscribe so you do not miss the rest of this 8-part series through the Book of Acts.
